Manchin: I’m voting to repeal ObamaCare; Update: No, I’m not

posted at 10:41 am on February 21, 2014 by Ed Morrissey

Or did he make that pledge? This moment doesn’t get included in the video from The Register-Herald, but it will be the most-remarked part of their interview with Senator Joe Manchin. The West Virginia Democrat seems to announce that he will vote to repeal ObamaCare, although he wants an alternative that fixes its problems, too. It’s a bit like eating your cake and having it too– and from the context, it’s not explicitly clear that he’d vote for repeal:

He asked for all the listeners to let him and other lawmakers know their thoughts on the variety of topics, including the Affordable Care Act.

“We spend more on health care than any state, but we rank 43rd on wellness and longevity.”

Both parties agree on many aspects of the ACA, such as pre-existing conditions not being excluded from coverage and no lifetime caps, but there are still many kinks that need to be fixed, Manchin said.

“I will vote tomorrow to repeal (the ACA), but I want to fix the problems in it.”

He said the ACA is essentially a product and the government needs to find a way to “sell it” and make their customers want to buy it.

Is the Senate taking up a repeal package? The House has passed 40 bills repealing ObamaCare, most of which Harry Reid has ignored. Senate Republicans have been working on a repeal-and-replace plan, as Forbes reported last month, but I’m unaware of a bill on the Senate floor at the moment. It seems unlikely in the extreme that Reid would allow one to get onto the Senate floor in an election year, but perhaps he’d do so in order to allow a few highly vulnerable red-state Democrats to vote for it while retaining 51 votes to kill it. That would only provide cover for four Democrats, though, and Manchin wouldn’t need that cover until 2018. A suddenly-bipartisan repeal pledge would put more pressure on other Senate Democrats who actually have to defend their seats in November — unlike Manchin, who won a full term in 2012 — and undo any good a cover vote might provide.

Besides, the context of the reporting here sounds as though Manchin is confused or misspoke. He will vote for repeal but he wants to fix it? He will vote for repeal but the government needs to sell it? Andrew Johnson notes at The Corner that Manchin’s talked before about the problems going beyond a failed sales pitch, but this sounds as though either Manchin’s confused or the reporter was.

Unfortunately, the Register-Herald didn’t include this in the video clips of their Manchin interview. When the reporter asks, “Speaking of confidence in government,” one expects the ObamaCare question to arise, but instead it’s just a question about the budget. Talk about missed opportunities…

Update: Manchin hit retreat pretty quickly:

I've never supported repealing the ACA because I came to Washington to find solutions to our country’s problems. http://t.co/MfhGQJFppG

I think what Manchin might have been trying to say is that he would vote for repeal, but would rather fix ObamaCare. At least that’s what I think he tried to say. Maybe the newspaper should release the entire videotape.

Update: Manchin’s office sent his entire official statement:

I have never supported repealing the Affordable Care Act because I came to Washington to find solutions to our country’s problems. We cannot go back to the days when millions of Americans were uninsured and nearly twenty percent of our GDP was spent on healthcare, while only being ranked 43rd in the world in health and wellness outcomes. The Affordable Care Act does some things well, like expanding access to preventative care, providing access to those with pre-existing conditions, and closing the Medicare Part D prescription drug donut hole, but the law has many flaws. That is why I have supported legislation to delay the individual mandate penalty for a year, define a full-time work-week at forty hours instead of thirty, grandfather in existing plans that Americans are happy with, repeal the burdensome 1099 requirements on small businesses and fix a technical error that unduly harmed volunteer firefighters. We should be working together to identify which parts of the law are broken and need to be fixed. We may learn that some parts of the law can’t be repaired, and we should eliminate those parts entirely. I wasn’t here when this bill passed, and the easiest thing I could do as a Senator is to vote no on everything, but the people of West Virginia sent me here to solve problems, and I will continue to work to solve the problems in the health care bill.

Blowback

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It seems unlikely in the extreme that Reid would allow one to get onto the Senate floor in an election year, but perhaps he’d do so in order to allow a few highly vulnerable red-state Democrats to vote for it while retaining 51 votes to kill it.

Exactly, which is why this is an utterly meaningless pronouncement. In related news, Manchin also promises that if he’s ever given the chance to sleep with Marilyn Monroe, he’ll do it.

The vote he cast in 2010 is the one that matters. Can’t unring that bell, pal.

On a related note any Republican who talks about repealing and “replacing” this debacle needs a good old fashioned horse whipping. We are not obligated to come up with an alternative when the status quo was infinitely better. Government should butt out anyway. Of this issue and nine thousand others.

Exactly, which is why this is an utterly meaningless pronouncement. In related news, Manchin also promises that if he’s ever given the chance to sleep with Marilyn Monroe, he’ll do it.

The vote he cast in 2010 is the one that matters. Can’t unring that bell, pal.

Mr. D on February 21, 2014 at 10:49 AM

To be fair, Joe was governor of West Virginia when the ObamaCare vote took place, since Robert C. Byrd had yet to run afoul of the actuary tables (he wouldn’t die until June and Manchin would get his Senate seat at the end of the year.

But the point remains this is a no-substance pledge because Manchin knows Reid won’t bring it to the floor, as long as the Democrats control the Senate, and even if the Republicans take over in 2015, Obama won’t sign it. This only becomes news if the GOP ends up with a virtual clean sweep this November and 66 Senate seats, and Joe suddenly finds himself as vote No. 67 a year from now to override Obama’s veto of ObamaCare’s repeal.

We are not obligated to come up with an alternative when the status quo was infinitely better. Government should butt out anyway. Of this issue and nine thousand others.

Kataklysmic on February 21, 2014 at 10:50 AM

Unfortunately, the old status quo is gone forever. Obamacare repealed and replaced it. At this point, for example, everyone with a preexisting condition would be kicked off their Obamacare plan and would not be able to get a new plan for lack of continuous coverage.

He was for it before he was against it. He’s not the last Democrat who’ll claim they’ll vote for repeal. They’ll say anything to get re-elected. They’re counting on the stupidity of the ignorant masses who elected them in the first place. Unfortunately, I’d have to put my money on them.

He seem to be confused. But, it appears that he and other Democrats are beginning to see realize that the ACA act is horribly flawed. The damage that it has already done to our economy can not be determined.

Meh, I read it like, “I’d be up for fixing the holes in this boat or scrapping the boat altogether.”

I’m not going to pile on him too much. He wasn’t around to vote for it in the first place, and I figure he’ll be dumping the D by the end of his term. It’s increasingly untenable to be a Democrat from WV anymore.

“We spend more on health care than any state, but we rank 43rd on wellness and longevity.”

This, to me, is the bigger news from his interview than anything about Obamacare. Is a politician — a federal government politician, no less — actually admitting that spending lots of money on a problem doesn’t necessarily solve it?

Good ole Joe Manchin, who was for the 2nd amendment before he was against it.
Sure, he didn’t cast a vote for Obamacare, but he was for that too, before his cronies coming up for the ’14 election are feeling some heat. & he readily voted against its repeal (Cruz amendment), he voted against denying Obamacare to illegal aliens & voted against the tax increase on catastrophic medical expenses (Toomey Amendment).

Here in SC there are disgusting commercials touting Lindsey Graham as one of the finest conservatives. Kind of deja vu with John McCain “sure the borders”! to win his re-election.

Coming up in ’16 we’ll have to live through Hillary demonstrating her excellence in leadership, & how she was the best Secretary of state ever. Why, her hands are clean on Benghazi.

He’ll vote to repeal it and he’ll vote to fix it. Right. Manchin’s not the brightest bulb in the box. His history of showing eager support for Obama and “climate change” belies his occasional campaign grandstanding where he picks up a rifle and takes a few shots, or says a few words in support of coal… before he goes back to his usual West Virginia Kowtowing to Obama.

“A new online broker, Motif Investing, is offering Obamacare’s friends and foes alike a chance to put their money where their mouth is. Co-founded by a former Microsoft executive, Hardeep Walia, and backed by Goldman Sachs and other investors, Motif allows customers to bet on narrowly tailored concepts.”

“Two of the hottest motifs right now are Obamacare and repeal Obamacare.”“What’s most striking isn’t the performance of the two funds, but where investors are choosing to place their money … One is clearly more popular: … Motif investors have bet 45 times more money on Obamacare’s success than on its failure.”

“Since the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law’s constitutionality in June 2012, investment in the health-care sector has soared.”

Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas: “Clearly Obamacare has provided a major catalyst to the investment case for this red-hot sector.”

Social Security is a program that one (some, actually) pay into separately from one’s taxes; it is/was supposed to be a distinct non-violatable trust. But it ain’t; it’s an empty shoebox full of IOUs. IOUs written by worthless, lying politicians of all stripes … that worthless, lying pretentious jackasses like you always want to place ever more faith in … regardless of the decades upon decades of consistent malfeasance. So, in your eyes it’s hypocrisy to claim that which is collected from you on a promise of a guaranteed right of return?

Wowser. That’s sort of correlative to “If you like your insurance, you can keep your insurance.”

I’ve never supported repealing the ACA because I came to Washington to find solutions to our country’s problems.
— Senator Joe Manchin

Why would Joe Manchin sign up for Repeal when Mitch McConnell is himself moving away from Repeal in Kentucky?

Chamber boosts McConnell on ObamaCare in new ad. No talk of Repeal. Only talks about fixing Obamacare!!

The narrator goes on to declare ObamaCare results in patients losing doctors and unaffordable premiums. And she declares that McConnell is “leading the fight to fix this ObamaCare mess.”

“Mitch McConnell is fighting for us and for Kentucky’s future. Right now, that’s what we need,” the ad closes.

Obamacare is working well in deep red Kentucky and McConnell realizes that and has abandoned repeal.
Only Whacko Bird Ted Cruz and his pathetic sidekick Mike Lee are still stuck on the Obamacare Repeal note.

1. People who cannot be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions. We dismantle the existing insurance industry to cover 77,000 people? .024% of the population dictates that the rest of us be subjected to an inferior product?
2. Congrats to seniors benefiting from closing of the doughnut hole for prescriptions. Revising/fixing Medicare Part D – requires a 2,700 page healthcare law?

3. Congrats for millions who are now getting healthcare to expanded Medicaid. You don’t need a 2,700 page law to expand Medicaid eligibility. And we pay for this expansion how?

4. Congrats to small business owners like me who can get a very good, affordable plan on exchange. For yourself – or your employees? Either way – I’m paying for your coverage. Want to help me with my mortgage?

And yet Tea Party Darling Mike Pence of Indiana is lining up to get Medicaid Expansion. Is Mike Pence a RINO? How do you square that???

Thank you, Mike Pence!

Might_Is_Right on February 21, 2014 at 1:35 PM

Why don’t you educate yourself a little. You come off like an idiot.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana is one of 21 states that chose not to expand Medicaid under Obamacare. It was a decision made by Gov. Mike Pence.

Pence is leaving Thursday for Washington D.C., where he will take part in meetings conducted by the National Governor’s Association.

He will also meet with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to talk about Medicaid, and that’s why people from a coalition of groups that calls itself Cover Indiana gathered outside the governor’s office Wednesday.

They presented 10,000 petition signatures that request an expansion of Medicaid, which could mean health insurance coverage for as many as 400,000 people in Indiana who currently don’t have it.

They know that Pence is not seeking a routine expansion of Medicaid but rather is seeking federal approval to use Medicaid money to expand the Healthy Indiana Plan.

This jack wagon is on both sides of any issue that he’s asked about. Gun control? For it and against it. Global warming? He believes in it and it doesn’t believe in it. Obamacare? He supports it and then doesn’t support it.

West Virginians make themselves look like their family trees are shaped like fence posts. Muslims at least marry first cousins instead of brothers and sisters.

He is using federal tax dollars (your and my dollars, mind you) to fill up the coffers of a private insurance company.

I am fine with it as long as people who never had healthcare have a chance to live their lives with regular medical attention.

Mike Pence can call it his “free market” solution or whatever clever words that will please conservative but I am happy he is taking federal dollars under Medicaid expansion and using them to provide healthcare to poor people.

1. People who cannot be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions.

Might_Is_Right on February 21, 2014 at 1:02 PM

We dismantle the existing insurance industry to cover 77,000 people? .024% of the population dictates that the rest of us be subjected to an inferior product?

Hill60 on February 21, 2014 at 1:30 PM

The number in your link Hill, -77,000, is the number of people with pre-existing conditions that were SUCCESSFULLY resolved through state programs, so they didn’t need Obamacare.

The number of people with pre-existing conditions that led to denial of health insurance is far smaller than 77,000, in fact nearly insignificant. It was insane to destroy American health care for that insignificant number of people.

If Shelley Capito wins Rockefeller’s open senate seat, Eban Jenkins unseats Nick Joe Rahall, the Republicans retain Capito’s house seat and the Republicans gain a majority in the senate, I predict that Joe Manchin will discover his political philosophy and values (not to mention his electability–oh did I mention that, bad on me) more closely align to the Republicans and he will switch parties. West Virginia is headed to red state status and will remain there for many years. Joe knows where the pork is.

The number in your link Hill, -77,000, is the number of people with pre-existing conditions that were SUCCESSFULLY resolved through state programs, so they didn’t need Obamacare.

The number of people with pre-existing conditions that led to denial of health insurance is far smaller than 77,000, in fact nearly insignificant. It was insane to destroy American health care for that insignificant number of people.

slickwillie2001 on February 21, 2014 at 2:14 PM

Slick – the 77,000 quoted in the link provided, are the people who enrolled in the PCIP (one of the first parts of the ACA to be enacted). They received coverage either thru state or Federal programs. The chart shows whether it was done thru the state’s Medicaid program, or the Federal program. These people are expected to move off the PCIP and onto the exchange – but the transfer date has been extended, because of the healthcare.gov website failure.

Having said that, I agree – I don’t think we should have destroyed the existing healthcare system to extend coverage to what amounts to a little over 2 one-hundredths of a percent of the population.

I want to be upfront with you and call it like it is,” IRS commissioner John Koskinen told taxpayers in a video on the agency’s YouTube channel. “Given our very limited resources, our phone lines are going to be extremely busy this year, and there will frequently be extensive wait times.

You will be on hold 18 minutes before you can talk with someone and 39% of the call last year went unanswered. Yes, Joe this makes me want to fix “Government” run health insurance. Sure… like that is going to work.